Author: Billy Camden

An expanding academy trust is backing its chair despite the government referring his giant private training provider to the police following a second investigation. Peter Marples (pictured), a multi-millionaire businessman who co-founded 3aaa in 2008, joined the Spencer Academies Trust in December 2015 as a trustee and became its chair in the 2016/17 academic year. […]

The boss of the largest college group in the country has quit, FE Week can reveal. Joe Docherty (pictured) has left NCG with immediate effect. He becomes the third high-profile and highly paid college boss to resign in recent weeks. His decision follows a turbulent year for the college group which has been rated poorly […]

The buyer of apprenticeship giant Aspire Achieve Advance will have to pay £500,000 in “deal fees” by the end of 2018. FE Week revealed last week that the crisis-hit training provider, commonly known as 3aaa, has put itself up for sale in the midst of a government investigation into the company. A sales document, seen […]

The boss of Aspire Achieve Advance has contacted the apprenticeship giant’s clients to “reassure” them that he’s taking the business forward as “new management”, even though he’s held a top leadership role there for over two years. Richard Irons (pictured), who joined the company known as 3aaa in mid-2016 as its chief operating officer, was […]

Ofsted delayed inspecting the beleaguered Aspire Achieve Advance for years despite its achievement rates plummeting when apprentice numbers nearly quadrupled and severe safeguarding concerns were brought forward by a whistleblower. An FE Week investigation has uncovered the serious failing by the education watchdog, which has now come under fire from chair of the influential Public […]

The skills minister has highlighted the “risks” associated with degree apprenticeships after her predecessor evangelised about how they are his “two favourite words”. Anne Milton and Robert Halfon engaged in a heated exchange about the high level qualifications during a fringe event at the Conservative party conference. Mr Halfon, now chair of the education select […]

Beleaguered apprenticeship giant Aspire Achieve Advance has put itself up for sale with the government’s backing. The decision has been made following a suspension on its recruitment while an Education and Skills Funding Agency investigation is carried out into the company’s achievement rates. It is the second government investigation into the provider in the last […]

The principal of a high-profile college in financial crisis has resigned with immediate effect, FE Week can reveal. Dame Asha Khemka (pictured), who is one of the highest paid FE leaders in the country, stepped down from the top post at West Nottinghamshire College following a “special meeting of the board of governors”. It was […]

The Russian Federation reigned supreme at EuroSkills 2018 after their team claimed nine golds, eight silvers, two bronzes and 10 medallions of excellence in Budapest. Following up in second place was Austria while France finished third (full table below). Russia, which is hosting next year’s WorldSkills competition in Kazan, took 37 young people to compete […]